November 14, 2025 | 03:15 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Trade has gradually destroyed 19,391 bales of imported second-hand clothing confiscated in Bandung, West Java. The thousands of bales, amounting to Rp112.3 billion, were brought in from South Korea, Japan, and China.
The illegal goods were seized in mid-August 2025 from eight importers. Trade Minister Budi Santoso stated, "The destruction process has been ongoing since October 14, 2025, and a total of 16,591 bales, or approximately 85.56%, have already been destroyed," on Friday, November 14, 2025.
The Minister ensured that all the illegal goods were destroyed as a follow-up to cross-agency supervision. Today, there are 500 remaining bales being destroyed at PT Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri, Bogor Regency, West Java.
Budi continued, the seizure of thousands of bales of second-hand clothing involved several agencies such as the National Police, the State Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He expressed hope that the inter-agency coordination could reveal more imported second-hand clothing still circulating.
He stated that the distributors who imported the second-hand clothes have faced administrative sanctions, including business closure and mandatory payment for the destruction costs. "Our target is to have all confiscated second-hand clothes destroyed by the end of November," Budi said.
Budi has not yet been able to confirm the loophole for importing second-hand clothes. He mentioned that his institution is only authorized to act on goods that have already entered and been distributed in the Indonesian market.
"The Ministry of Trade's supervision is at the post-border, meaning monitoring goods that have already entered our territory. For goods that have not yet entered, we cooperate for better handling," he said.
Importing textile products such as second-hand clothes is prohibited under Article 47 of Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade, which stipulates the importer's obligation to import goods in new condition.
Previously, the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order of the Ministry of Trade, Moga Simatupang, stated that trade supervision of imported commodities occurs after the goods pass through customs (post-border).
Its goal is to ensure that imported goods circulating in the domestic market comply with the existing laws. "Trade is not only for profit, but it must also comply with the applicable laws and regulations," he said in a written statement on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that there will be no immediate action against illegally imported goods in several markets. Tightening controls will occur at the entry points, such as at the ports by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, which operates under the Ministry of Finance.
With enforcement at the entry points, hopefully the supply will deplete and traders will have no choice but to switch to domestic products, said Purbaya.
Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi and Ilona Estherina Piri contributed to the writing of this article.
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